A RESEARCH ON MEASURING CONSUMER ETHNOCENTRISM OF YOUNG TURKISH CUSTOMERS PURCHASING BEHAVIORS

Abstract

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, important changes have occurred world wide. Not only the Berlin Wall, but also technological improvements such as the Internet affected businesses as befits humans. Globalization bias presents considerable challenges and opportunities for international marketers. The relaxation of trade policies has provided consumers with more foreign product choices than ever before (Wang & Chen, 2004). As a developing and a posseser of the young generation country, Turkey has also taken her share from this metamorphosis and winds of globalization. This has been accelerated by the imports of foreign products. There have been great changes in consumer behavior because of this acceleration. Some economical and political crisis has also brought reactions. Therefore, it is very important to study consumers' ethnocentric tendencies and factors which affect their buying preferences and buying behavior. This paper seeks to examine the concept of "consumer ethnocentrism'' (CE) and its impact on product evaluation and preferences among young Turkish consumers.